Michael Porter Jr. Player Profile

Strengths

Style: Combo forward with speed, length and shooting touch. Made for dragging bigger 4s around screens and nailing pin-down 3s

Grab N Go: Great handler in transition, gets boards

Attacker: Loves to get to the rim as often as possible

Capable but not entirely willing passer

Measurements: Long wingspan, same standing reach (9’0”) as Anthony Davis

Great Athlete, fluid

Can go up and get lobs, whether from dunker spot or PnR

Concerns

Physicality: Guy is rail-thin, gets pushed around. Can he guard bigger 4s? Or bigger 3s? Even a short but strong player like PJ Tucker would have an advantage

Defense: Way too upright, perhaps caused by bad back? Has lapses

In small line ups, who does he guard?

Ball-handling: Not as tight/smooth as everyone thinks

Can he create for others?

Surprisingly BAD feel for the game (see gif)/ IQ

Back Injury: Always something to watch for

Pro Comp

If Chandler Parson traded his feel for the game for more wingspan

Gallo

Rudy Gay

Tier and Picks

Tier 3 with Tier 2 upside

Picks 10-14

Physical

6’10 ½

211 lbs

7’1” Wingspan

Outlook

I just don’t see it.

Let me rephrase. I just don’t see Michael Porter being worthy of a top-8 pick. Do I think he can become a sweet-shooting combo forward who can space the floor? Absolutely. But, I simply haven’t seen much in his game that suggests he can do more than catch some lobs, hit threes and nail some bailout mid-rangers. Those are certainly good traits; however, I want my top-ten picks to do more than that. Show me defense, shiftiness, creation, passing vision, shot-blocking…something. At times, Porter looks like he has no idea how to play in an offense. Check out the gif in his player profile. Who watches their teammate post up then decide to post up LITERALLY right next to him? Who? A pirate with two hooks for hands has a better feel for the game. I don’t want to bash on MPJ too much. After all, I am rooting for the kid to succeed because, well, you would have to be a jerk to want anyone to fail. But at the end of the day, Porter is someone who I am staying away from, if possible. The back injury, the lack of film, the un-diverse skill set…gamble on someone else in the top-ten.